Asthma and Sleep Apnea Are Connected

JULY 01, 2005

Researchers have found a link between
asthma and sleep apnea. Study findings
indicate that treating the sleep disorder
may help patients control their asthma.
"[For] a lot of folks that we otherwise would
have said this is a separate problem, we
are now realizing there is a connection,"
said researcher William Bria, MD.

For the study, 115 patients with asthma
who were not doing well on regular medication
completed questionnaires. The
early data showed that 49% of women and
33% of men were at risk for sleep apnea.
Of the participants, 55% reported excessive
daytime sleepiness, a symptom of
sleep apnea. "This tells us that a lot more
people with asthma need to have sleep
studies,"noted Dr. Bria. "When patients are
having problems with asthma, their doctors
need to look at more than whether they are
taking enough puffs from their inhalers."

Oftentimes, sleep apnea is treated with
a device that provides continuous positive
airway pressure. The research team is currently
conducting a study to determine
whether patients with persistent asthma
see a difference with treatment from the
device.